Taking Care of Your Employee's Mental Health
As HR professionals and employers, we encounter a reasonable proportion of trying situations with our staff. One that isn’t recognized nearly enough is employee mental health. If you are not properly equipped, you may react negatively, challenge their work competence, or make an assumption about their colleagues being at risk. The biggest misunderstanding about individuals that struggle with their mental health is that they are increasingly dangerous or unproductive. Fortunately, we are in a position where we can and should alleviate the situation.
What is Burnout, and what are The Signs and Symptoms?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon conceptualized as the result of chronic workplace stress that has not been adequately managed. It is crucial to acknowledge that burnout is not specified as a medical condition but is incorporated into the ICD-10.
Burnout is symbolized by three elements:
Feelings of diminished energy or exhaustion
Increased mental distance from one’s work, feelings of resistance or cynicism related to one’s job
Reduced professional efficacy
Physical signs and symptoms:
Feeling drained and exhausted most of the time
Lowered immunity, persistent illness
Frequent headaches or muscle pain
Change in appetite or sleep habits
Emotional signs and symptoms:
Sense of disapointment and self-doubt
Feeling powerless, trapped, and defeated
Detachment, feeling alone in the world
Loss of motivation
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
Behavioral signs and symptoms:
Withdrawing from responsibilities
Isolating yourself from others
Procrastinating, taking longer to accomplish tasks
Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
Taking your frustration out on others
Skipping work or arriving late and leaving early
Burnout Prevention:
A change of landscape, a break from screens, desks, and walls can accomplish a lot
Have a wall where folks are able to write a compliment to anybody on sticky notes: read them out loud
Let each employee know something specific that you’ve noticed in their job performance to promote engagement and communication
Offer small tokens of appreciation: gift cards to coffee shops, restaurants, online stores, or order team lunches
Encourage employees to use their vacation time
Add fun activities during company hours to invite employees to leave their desks and be social with one another
Company-paid subscriptions to mindfulness apps, yoga, guided meditation, massages, (work) retreats
Ensure managers have conferences that explicitly address work/life balance
How does burnout relate to mental health?
Burnout may increase someone’s risk of getting depression.
*People with burnout don’t always have depression
**Depression often introduces other symptoms such as low self-esteem, melancholy, suicidal ideation (thinking about killing yourself)
Common Mental Health Illnesses in the Workplace
The ADA estimates 44 million Americans (over 18 years old) have mental health conditions
Anxiety disorders (including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) – 18%
Restlessness, demanding constant assurance on work performance, and trouble focusing
Depression – 9.5%
Impaired decision making, inactivity, lack of productivity, doesn’t take part in workplace activities
Bipolar disorders—2.6%
High energy and creativity, with a lack of actual productivity, neglects workplace rules, compromised judgment
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—4%
Disorganization, consistently missing deadlines, problems following instructions, challenges in managing workloads
Schizophrenia – 1%
Workplace Risks to Mental Health
Inadequate health and safety policies
Poorly lit, unventilated, and unsanitary conditions, insufficient breaks
Unanswered safety complaints or concerns
Poor communication and management practices
Lack of tangible support from management
Contradictory expectations
Lack of communication regarding business changes or policies
Low control or participation in the decision-making process of one’s work
Low levels of employee support
Inflexible and excessive workloads and working hours
Homelife conflicts due to increased working hours
Psychological, verbal, physical, online, and sexual harassment
Threats to job security
Under-utilization of skills
Workplace Interventions
Eliminate stigma and increase awareness
Normalize the fact that all emotions are valid and everyone needs help
Become a support system, identify next steps, recognize what they are going through, and, if needed, help with navigating the company’s resources
Organize a regularly scheduled support group led by employees – encourage employees to pick topics of interest
Educate employees to understand the signs and symptoms, as well as treatment options, for mental health illnesses through seminars, workshops, flyers, brochures, magazines, etc.
Train all staff (including HR, administrators, managers, supervisors, and team leads) in symptom recognition to better support employees
Managers should have weekly, monthly, or quarterly check-ins to normalize open-communication
Survey employees to find out what exactly stresses them out and what suggestions they would like to see implemented
Prioritize time off for mental health
PTO should always include taking time off to better employees’ mental health
Encourage employees to find support before problems arise
Offer Return to Work programs to ease employees back into their work routine following time-off for mental health. Personalized work hours or work from home options
Insurance benefits should include mental health resources
No or low out-of-pocket costs for in-person or online counseling, lifestyle coaching, and medications
Provide mental health self-assessment tools to all employees
Recommend free or subsidized clinical screenings from qualified mental health professionals followed by direct feedback and clinical referrals
Urge employees to take advantage of your employee assistance program (EAP) if you have one – if you don’t, look into getting one!
Encourage healthier eating by providing meals and snacks
General Guidelines for Discussing Your Employee’s Mental Health
Be certain to talk in a proper place, someplace private, with as few interruptions as possible. Be sure to schedule in advance so neither party will feel rushed
Validate your employee’s experience through active listening. Be sure to check in and make sure that you are hearing everything as they intended. Even if you don’t understand what they are experiencing, continue to be supportive and non-judgmental. Provide sufficient time for them to express their concerns, triggers, how their mental health is influencing their work (if it is), and the support or accommodation they require and feel is appropriate. Do not diagnose them or become their counselor.
Be forthright about role expectations and the consequences (if any) linked to any issues they may have encountered
Offer to review relevant employee benefits specifically related to mental health care
Schedule a follow-up meeting to review how the arrangements have worked and if they have assisted in accomplishing their tasks or if they need any additional support
*Be observant of HIPPA and ADA compliance – Employees are not required to disclose mental health status or diagnosis; however, if they mention any specifics, they are most likely doing so in confidence, and you can continue to talk with them as long as they remain comfortable.